a noun clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun (that is, as a subject, object, or

complement) within a sentence. A noun clause serves the same purpose as a noun. It can be the
subject or object of a verb. It can also be the object of a preposition. Noun clauses are usually
introduced by the subordinating conjunctions that, if and whether. Question words like what, how,
when etc., can also be used to introduce noun clauses.

noun clause
is a dependent clause which takes th
e place of a noun
in another clause
or
phrase
. Like a noun, a noun
clause acts as the
subject
or
object
of a
verb
or the
object of a
preposition
, answering the questions "who(m)?" or "what?".
Words that introduce noun clauses:
How What where Which Whoever If
Whatever Whichever
whoever Whomeve
r
That When Whether who, which

4.
Noun clauses can be us
ed as the following:
Function
Noun or Pronoun
Noun Clause
 Subject His speech
was clear. What he said
was clear.
Direct object I don’
t know his contact
number.
I don’t know how he can be
reached.
Indirect object Give her
the message Give whoever answers
the
message.
Object of a preposition I
sent the notice to her.
I sent the notice to whoever was

A. DEFENITION OF ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

Adjective clause is a group of words which contains a Subject and Predicate of
its own, and does the work of an adjective.[1] Adjective clauses can be reduced to adjective
phrases under certain grammatical conditions. In the examples below, you will see a noun
modified by an adjective clause and then an example of the same noun modified by the
shorter adjective phrase. The red dots indicate that the main clause is incomplete as you are
focusing only on clause-to-phrase reduction in these examples. For such reductions to occur,
the relative pronoun must be a subject pronoun in all cases.

Grammatical Condition Clause Phrase

Verb in adjective clause is an People who live in large
people living in large cities...
active verb cities...
Verb in adjective clause is Students who are studying at Students studying at urban
progressive urban campuses... campuses...
Verb in adjective clause is Children who are born with Children born with congenital
passive congenital heart disease... heart disease... (the preferred
 style)
Adj. clause has the verb be + Children who are most likely
Children most likely to recover
adjective + infinitive to recover from serious
from serious illness...
complement illness...
Dr. Francisco Ramirez, chief
Adj. clause has another name Dr. Francisco Ramirez, who is pediatric surgeon at Children's
for the modified noun (an chief pediatric surgeon at Hospital,... the appositive
appositive) Children's Hospital,... phrase is preferred style and is
non-restrictive.

Relative pronoun use who subject or object pronoun for people which subject
or object pronoun for animals and things which referring to a whole sentence whose
possession for people animals and things whom object pronoun for people, especially in non-
defining relative clauses (in defining relative clauses we colloquially prefer who) that subject
or object pronoun for people, animals and things in defining relative clauses (who or which
are also possible).

relative
use
pronoun

who subject or object pronoun for people

which subject or object pronoun for animals and things

which referring to a whole sentence

whose possession for people animals and things

object pronoun for people, especially in non-defining relative clauses (in

whom
defining relative clauses we colloquially prefer who)
 subject or object pronoun for people, animals and things in defining relative
that
clauses (who or which are also possible)

B. TYPE OF ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

An adjective clause may be classified according to the antecedent[2] that the
introductory word refers to.
Noun Antecedent Introductory Word Illustrative Sentence
Meaning
A person (1) Relative Pronoun:  Subject-He paid the money
Who (whom or whose) or to the man who (or that) had
that done the work.
 Object of verb-He paid the
man whom (or that) he had
hired.
 Object of Preposition-He
paid the man from whom he
had borrowed the money.
 Possesive adjective-This is
the girl whose picture you
saw.

 Subject-Here is a book which

(or that) describes animals.
A thing Which or that  Object of verb-The chair
which (or that) he broke is
being repaired.
 Object of preposition-She was
wearing the coat for which
she had paid $2,000.
 (2) Relative Adverb:
A time When This is the year when the
Olympic Games are held.
A place Where Here is the house where I
live.
A reason Why Give me one good reason
why you did that.[3]

C. USUAL PATTERNS OF ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

S + Be/V + N/Pronoun Adjective Clause

Relative Pronoun + S + V

Example:
 A pilot is a person who flies an air plane.
 This is the picture that I like very much.
 An expert is a person who has special knowledge in one area.
 I have just met the girl whose car is Mitsubishi.
 Lucia wears suit which cost US $ 250.
 That is the place where the victim was found.
 The man whose hause is blue works for PT. EXXON MOBILE.
 This is the girl whom the car belong to will be sold.
 This was the month when I was born.[4]
 Students who are intelligent understand adjectives.
 I love sentences which extol the virtues of English teachers.
 Students whom I admire want to become English teachers.
 My English teacher, who wears old fashioned ties, is laughed at by the students.
 My English book, which is a monument of boredom, is used mainly as a door stop.
 (a) USUAL: I like the people who live next to me.
LESS USUAL: I like the people that live next to me.
(b) USUAL: I like books that have good plots.
LESS USUAL: I like books which have good plots. more common than which.
(c) USUAL: I like the people I met last night.
(d) USUAL: I like the book I read last night.
In everyday informal usage, often
one adjective clause pattern is used
more commonly than another. In (a):
As subject pronoun, who is more
common than that.
In (b): As a subject pronoun, that is
In (c) and (d): Object pronouns are
commonly omitted, especially in
speaking.

D. USING ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

1. Using Whose
Whose is used to show possession. It carries
I know the man the same meaning as other possessive
His bicycle was stolen. pronouns used as adjectives: his, her, its, and
↓ their. Like his, her, its, and their, whose is
(a) I know the man whose bicycle was stoles connected to a noun:
His bicycle → whose bicycle
Her composition → whose composition
The student writes well
I read her composition Both whose and the noun it is connected to are
↓ placed at the beginning of the adjective clause.
(b) The student whose composition I read Whose cannot be omitted.
writes well.

Mr. Catt has a painting. Whose usually modifies people, but it may
Its value is inestimable. also be used to modify things, as in (c).

(c) Mr, Chatt has a painting whose value is

inestimable.
2. Using Where
The building is very old.
He lives there (in that building)
(a) The building where he lives is very old.
(b) The building in which he lives is very old.
(c) The building which he lives in is very old.
(d) The building that he lives in is very old.
(e) The building he lives in is very old.
3. Using When
I’ll never forget the day.
I met you then (on that day).
(a) I’ll never forget the day when
I met you.
(b) I’ll never forget the day on which
I met you.
(c) I’ll never forget the day that
I met you.
(d) I’ll never forget the day I met you.
4. Using Adjective Clauses to Modify Pronouns
(a) There is someone (whom) I want you to Adjective clauses can modify indefinite
meet.
(b) Everything he said was pure nonsense.
(c) Anybody who wants to come is welcome.
(d) Paula was the only one I knew at the party.
(e) Scholarship are available for those who and those.
Where is used in an adjective clause to
modify a place (city, country, room, house,
etc.).
If where is used, a preposition in NOT
included in the adjective clause, as in (a). If
where is not used, the preposition must be
included, as in (b).
When is used in an adjective clause to
modify a noun of time (year, day, time,
century, etc.).
The use of a preposition in an adjective
clause that modifies a noun of time is
somewhat different from yhat in order
adjective clauses: a preposition is used
preceding which, as in (b). Otherwise, the
preposition is omitted.
pronouns (e.g., someone, everything,
everybody). Object pronouns (e.g., who(m),
that, which) are usually omitted in the
adjective clause.
Adjective clauses can modify the one(s)
 need financial assitance.
(f) INCORRECT: I who am student at this Adjective clauses are almost never used to
school come from a country in Asia. modify personal pronouns. Native speakers
(g) It is I who am responsible. would not write the sentence in (f). (g) is
(h) He who laughs last laughs best. possible, but very formal and uncommon.
(h) si awell-known saying in which he is
used as an indefinite pronoun (meaning
“anyone,” “any person”.[5]

5. Using Subject Pronouns: Who, Which, That

Adjective Clause / Relative Clause with Subject Pronouns: "Who", "Which", "That"

Without adjective clause / relative clause Using adjective clause / relative clause

I will introduce you to a friend who runs a

I will introduce you to a friend. He runs a successful business.
successful business. I will introduce you to a friend that runs a
successful business.

The book which has raised controversy is

The book is about religion. It has raised about religion.
controversy. The book that has raised controversy is about
religion.

• "Who", "which" or "that" is the subject of the adjective clause.

• "Who" is used to change the form of the subject.
• "Which" is used to change the subject in the form of objects.
• "That" is used to change the form of the subject and the object, and is more commonly used
than "which". However, "that" can only be used in defining relative clause only. (Read
MenggunakanAdjectiveClause Combining Sentences (Relative Clause).

6. Using Object Pronouns: Who(m), Which, That

Adjective Clause / Relative Clause with Object Pronouns: "Who(m)", "Which", "That"
 Without adjective clause / relative clause Using adjective clause / relative clause

I will introduce you to a friend (who(m)) you

I will introduce you to a friend. You have have never met before.
never met him before. I will introduce you to a friend (that) you
have never met before.

The book (which) I bought in Gramedia

The book is about religion. I bought it in bookstore last week is about religion.
Gramedia bookstore last week. The book (that) I bought in Gramedia
bookstore last week is about religion.

The song to which I am listening was very

popular in 1990's.
The song was very popular in 1990's. I am The song (which) I am listening to was very
listening to it. popular in 1990's.
The song (that) I am listening to was very
popular in 1990's.

• "Whom" is used to change the form of the object, commonly used in formal English. For an
informal and conversational English, "who" is used more often replace "Whom".
• "Which" is used to replace an object in the form of objects.
• "That" is used to change the form of the object or objects, and is more commonly used than
"which". However, "that" can only be used in defining relative clause only. (Read Combining
Sentences Using Adjective Clause (Relative Clause).
• In conversational English (oral), "who", "which" or "that" is often omitted.

E. POSITION OF ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

The normal position of an adjective clause is immeditelyafter the noun or
pronoun to which it refers. However, sometimes a prepositional a participal phrase may
intervene-He greetedall his old friends from Paris, who were delighted to see him again.
Where such a phrase intervenes, the antecedent of the adjective clause may be ambiguous.
For example, in the sentence The Dean wrote to the parents of the students who had helped
 with the annual carnival, it is not clear whether the antecedent of who is the parents or the
students.
Occasionally an adjective clause referring to the subject comes after the verb,
especially when the antecedent is a pronoun-Everyone came who could afford the price of the
ticket. Such a construction may have a literary or even an archaic flavor:
All’s well that ends well (Shakespeare)
He prayeth best who loveth best (Coleridge)[6]

CHAPTER III
CLOSING
A. Conclucion
Adjective clause is a group of words which contains a Subject and Predicate of
its own, and does the work of an adjective. Adjective clauses can be reduced to adjective
phrases under certain grammatical conditions. In the examples below, you will see a noun
modified by an adjective clause and then an example of the same noun modified by the
shorter adjective phrase. The red dots indicate that the main clause is incomplete as you are
focusing only on clause-to-phrase reduction in these examples. For such reductions to occur,
the relative pronoun must be a subject pronoun in all cases.
Conjunction between one another clause in the adjective clause are:
1. Who
Its function is to replace the subject (Person)
Example: - This works very diligently Manager who is my brother
`- This Man who lives next to me is very friendly
2. Whom
Its function is to describe the object (person)
Example: - This Man Whom I met is very friendly
- The Lady Whom I met the party last night is our secretary
3. Whose
Functions adalahberhubungan ownership
Example: - The Man Whose car stolen called the police
- The secretary Whose bag is red entered the seminar room
4. Which
Its function is used for objects, either in subject or object position.
Example: - The laser printer roomates I saw at the exibilition last night is very expensive. -
The computer executes the roomates the program is very expensive very fast

What do you want

from me?
(Apa yang kamu
inginkan dari
what Question word ini digunakan untuk menanyakan benda saya?)
(apa) atau hal (thing). What are you
doing here?
(Apa yang sedang
kamu lakukan
disini?)
Where does he
where live?
Where digunakan untuk menanyakan tempat (place).
(dimana) (Dimana dia
tinggal?)
When does the
train from
when Question word ini digunakan untuk menanyakan waktu
Yogyakarta arrive?
(kapan) (time)
(Kapan kereta dari
Yogyakarta tiba?)
Why do you hate
why cats?
Kata ini digunakan untuk menanyakan alasan (reason).
(mengapa) (Mengapa kamu
benci kucing?)
Which one is
Question word ini untuk menanyakan orang (person),
which better?
benda atau hal (thing) yang mana yang dimaksud diantara
(yang mana) (Yang mana yang
sejumlah orang, benda, atau hal.
lebih baik?)
Who send me a
letter?
who (Siapa yang
Question word ini digunakan untuk menanyakan orang
(siapa – mengirimiku
(person). surat?)
subject)
Who is that man?
(Siapa pria itu?)
whom Whom digunakan untuk menanyakan orang yang Whom are you
 (siapa – menerima aksi, atau dengan kata lain: direct object. going to meet?
object) (Siapa yang akan
kamu temui?)
whose
Question word ini digunakan untuk orang yang mana Whose turn is it?
(siapa –
yang memiliki sesuatu (possessive). (Giliran siapa?)
possessive)
How did you meet
your soulmate?
(Bagaimana kamu
bertemu belahan
jiwamu?)
How often should I
change my
toothbrush?
(Seberapa sering
saya harus
mengganti sikat
gigi?)
How digunakan untuk menanyakan cara
How far is moon
(manner). Question word ini juga dapat dikombinasikan
how from earth?
dengan dengan berbagai huruf menjadi: how often
(bagaimana) (Berapa jauh bulan
(seberapa sering), how far (berapa jauh), how
dari bumi?)
much/many (berapa banyak), how long (berapa lama).
How much do we
need?
(Berapa banyak
yang kita
butuhkan?)
How long does it
take to get
pregnant?
(Berapa lama
waktu yang
dibutuhkan untuk
hamil?)